1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to combat knife scabbards, and more particularly to scabbards having a wire cutting tool provided therewith.
2. Description of Prior Art
Combat knives and bayonets are sometimes held in scabbards that may be worn on a person. Often, a wire cutting tool is separately incorporated with the knife and scabbard, or provided as an integral feature of the knife and scabbard. The purpose of the cutting tool is generally to cut through wire, such as chain link fencing, or to snip metal, thereby adding functionality to the knife and scabbard combination.
In their most traditional form, the scabbard and cutting tool combinations comprise a bolt or boss protruding outwardly from one surface of the scabbard. The knife includes one edge that is beveled in a manner making it conducive to cutting wire, and includes an opening formed through the body of the blade that is adapted to securely engage the bolt or boss protruding from the scabbard. The scabbard includes either as an integral part thereof, or as a separate component securely attached thereto, a beveled edge that functions as the second edge of the cutting tool.
In order to cut wire, a user would remove the knife from the scabbard, interconnect the blade to the scabbard by forcibly engaging the boss through the opening formed in the blade. Wire may then be clipped by pivotally moving the blade relative to the scabbard such that the wire cutting edge on the knife blade shearingly moves relative to the wire cutting edge formed as part of the scabbard. While very functional and useful, tools constructed in this manner are relatively time consuming and difficult to assemble. Examples of such types of tools are exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,458 to Bauer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,818 to Harrison, U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,356 to Finnand, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,967 to Morton et al.
Another type of wire cutting tool and scabbard combination includes a cutting tool that is separate from the knife and incorporated into the scabbard. This type of assembly includes a cutting tool arm that is pivotally movable relative to the scabbard and includes a cutting surface attached to one end thereof. The second surface is formed as an integral part of the scabbard at one end thereof. A strap or other closure element retains the movable arm in fixed relation to the scabbard when not in use. In operation, a user releases the strap and pivotally moves the movable arm relative to the scabbard in order to cut through the wire or other material. Although this type of tool is quicker and easier to set up and use than the typical tool previously described, because it must be used in combination with the scabbard which also serves to hold the knife, its usefulness is some what limited and it is some what cumbersome to maneuver and use. A representative example of this type of knife is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,030 to Petrovich.